Awards and Honors
CMS 5-Star Ratings: 2026
MDI Health’s Mount Desert Island (MDI) Hospital has been awarded five-star ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for patient experience and nurse communication, the highest possible distinctions for patient willingness to recommend a hospital to friends and family, and how patients rate communication with their nursing care team.
The recognition is based on Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey data collected from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025, and made public on August 13.
MDI Hospital was one of just 250 hospitals nationwide to earn five stars for patient experience, and one of only four in Maine, alongside Lincoln Health, Northern Maine Medical Center, and Redington-Fairview General Hospital.
“What makes this recognition especially meaningful is that it comes directly from our patients,” said Chrissi Maguire, President/CEO of MDI Health. HCAHPS measures the things people feel during a hospital stay: whether nurses and physicians communicated clearly, whether staff responded when help was needed, whether medications and discharge instructions were explained, and whether the environment was clean and welcoming.
“These are not outcomes that can be engineered on paper, they are earned one interaction at a time, by a staff that shows up for this community every day,” Maguire said. “For a rural hospital serving year-round residents and seasonal visitors alike, this is powerful evidence that our neighbors trust and believe in us with their care.”
The five-star nurse communication rating reflects patients’ experiences of how clearly nurses explained their care, how carefully they listened, and whether they treated patients with courtesy and respect.
HCAHPS is a national, standardized survey of patients’ perspectives on hospital care. Results are publicly reported by CMS to help patients and families compare hospitals and make informed healthcare decisions.
American Heart Association Get With the Guidelines Rural Stroke Bronze: 2026
For its efforts to optimize stroke care and reduce gaps in rural health outcomes, Mount Desert Island Hospital (MDI Hospital) has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Rural Recognition Bronze award.
This recognition goes to hospitals for their commitment to acute stroke care excellence, demonstrated through performance on guideline-directed measures including intravenous thrombolytic therapy, timely hospital inter-facility transfer, dysphagia screening, symptom timeline and deficit assessment documentation, emergency medical services communication, brain imaging and stroke expert consultation.
Gold Standard of Excellence – Platinum Awardee (2020-2025)
The program of the MaineHealth Center for Tobacco Independence’s Breathe Easy Initiative recognizes hospitals, healthcare organizations, higher education organizations and behavioral health organizations and individual Gold Star Champions for efforts to address tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure. Celebrated organizations advance their campus smoke and tobacco-free policies as well as promote tobacco-free lifestyles.
MDI Hospital was recognized for meeting the Platinum Level through the Gold Star Standards of Excellence program for efforts to prohibit smoking and tobacco use on campus and addressing client tobacco use, for their fifth year in a row.
Best Places to Work in Maine 2024 & 2025
Best Places to Work in Maine is a research-driven program from Best Companies Group that examines a company’s practices, programs and benefits and surveys your employees for their perspective. MDI Health, as well as Birch Bay Village, were named to this list.
Press Ganey Human Experience Guardian of Excellence Award: 2022
Mount Desert Island Hospital Emergency Department was honored as a 2022 Human Experience (HX) Guardian of Excellence Award® winner by Press Ganey, the global leader in healthcare experience solutions and services. This award is part of Press Ganey’s annual ranking of the top hospitals and health systems in the country, according to performance in patient experience.
As a winner of the Press Ganey HX Guardian of Excellence Award®, Mount Desert Island Hospital Emergency Department is in the top 5% of healthcare providers in delivering patient experience. Press Ganey works with more than 41,000 healthcare facilities in its mission to reduce patient suffering and enhance caregiver resilience to improve the overall safety, quality and experience of care. Read more here.
NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home: 2021
Mount Desert Island Hospital has been awarded recognition by the National
Committee for Quality Assurance Patient-Centered Medical Home Program. The NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home program reflects the input of the American College of Physicians (ACP), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and others. It was developed to assess whether clinician practices are functioning as medical homes and recognize them for these efforts. The NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home standards emphasize the use of systematic, patient-centered, coordinated care that supports access, communication and patient involvement.
NCQA Diabetes Recognition Program: 2021
Mount Desert Island Hospital has been awarded recognition by the National Committee for Quality Assurance Diabetes Recognition Program. NCQA’s Diabetes Recognition Program recognizes clinicians who have met standards demonstrating delivery of high-quality care to patients with diabetes. The NCQA Diabetes Recognition Program is a voluntary effort to identify clinicians who provide diabetes care consistent with the comprehensive diabetes care measures within the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®). Clinicians who achieve DRP Recognition show their peers, patients and others in the Diabetes community that they are part of an elite group that is publicly recognized for its skill in providing the highest-level diabetes care.
NCQA Heart/Stroke Recognition Program: 2021
Mount Desert Island Hospital has been awarded recognition by the National Committee for Quality Assurance Heart/Stroke Recognition Program. NCQA’s Heart/Stroke Recognition means that clinicians have met standards showing they are providing high quality, evidence–based care for their CVD and stroke patients. This voluntary program is designed to recognize clinicians who have met standards demonstrating delivery of high-quality care to patients with cardiovascular disease and/or stroke.
Outstanding Patient Experience Award™: 2021
Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ recognizes hospitals ranked top in the nation for overall patient experience based on ten measures related to doctor and nurse communication, hospital cleanliness and noise levels, and medication and post-discharge care instructions. Healthgrades evaluates patient experience based on patient survey data collected by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Hospitals in the top 15% are recognized as Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ recipients.
MDI Hospital Receives National Recognition for Performance Leadership in Patient Perspective: 2017
Mount Desert Island Hospital is pleased to announce that it has been recognized by The Chartis Center for Rural Health/iVantage Health Analytics and the National Organization of State Office of Rural Health (NOSORH) for overall excellence in Patient Perspective, reflecting top quartile performance among all rural hospitals in the nation.
MDI Hospital Named Trauma System Hospital of the Year by Maine EMS
Mount Desert Island Hospital was named Trauma System Hospital of the Year by Maine Emergency Medical Services in Augusta on Tuesday, May 17, 2016. Each year during Emergency Medical Services Week, the Maine EMS Board recognizes leaders and outstanding contributors in the Maine EMS system.
From Left: Janet Joyeaux, Assistant to the Commissioner of the Maine Department of Public Safety; Chris Costello, RN, BS, CEN, Director of Emergency Services at MDI Hospital; Nate Donaldson Donaldson, DO, MHA, FACEP, Director of MDI Hospital’s Emergency Department; Vicky Eaton, Emergency Department RN, MDI Hospital; Jean Young, Emergency Department Clinical Supervisor, MDI Hospital; Jeffrey Rowe, EMT Chairman of the Maine Board of Emergency Medical Services.
National Rural Health Day Performance Leadership Award: 2015
Mount Desert Island Hospital was recognized by iVantage Health Analytics and the National Organization of State Office of Rural Health (NOSORH) for overall excellence in Quality and Patient Perspectives in 2015, reflecting top quartile performance among all acute care hospitals in the nation.
“MDI Hospital is proud to be recognized for excellence in quality and patient perspective. This recognition is truly a reflection of our outstanding patients, our hardworking, dedicated team and the strength of our community,” said Arthur J. Blank, President/CEO of MDI Hospital.
“These top quartile performers should take great pride in this recognition. It showcases their commitment to continuous performance analysis and improvement. On this occasion of National Rural Health Day, it’s an honor to celebrate their achievement as they continue to serve their communities despite the many market, regulatory and financial pressures they face.” said Michael Topchik, senior vice president of iVantage Health Analytics.
Harvard Pilgrim Honor Role: 2015, 2013
The Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Hospital Honor Roll recognizes those adult, acute care hospitals whose performance was among the top 25% of those measured nationally on a set of composite clinical quality, patient experience and patient safety measures, as reported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Hospital Compare and the Leapfrog Group.
Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award™: 2015, 2014, 2013
Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ recognizes hospitals for providing outstanding patient experience based on 10 measures related to doctor and nurse communication, hospital cleanliness and noise levels, and medication and post-discharge care instructions. The award is based on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) patient survey data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Overall Best Performer: 2002 – 2015
Mount Desert Island Hospital is the only hospital in the nation to earn the Overall Best Performer Award for patient satisfaction for 15 consecutive years. The Overall Best Performer Award is earned by scoring in the top five percent in the nation in patient surveys conducted by Avatar International, a national hospital patient consulting firm. This award not only reflects the consistently excellent quality of care throughout the organization but the continually outstanding quality of care through the years.
- Exceeding Patient Expectations: 2002 – 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
- Five Star Service, Loyalty, & Endorsement, 2007, 2013, 2014
- Five Star Service Award for Emergency Department, 2008, 2010, 2013
- HCAHPS Best Performer – Small Hospital – Willingness to Recommend, 2013
- Most Improved Outpatient Services, 2004
- Innovation Award for Communication, 2006
Top 20 Critical Access Hospital List: 2012, 2013, 2014
Mount Desert Island Hospital was named one of the Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) for overall quality in the country by the National Rural Health Association (NRHA). The Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals, including MDI Hospital, scored best among critical access hospitals on iVantage Health Analytics’ Hospital Strength Index for overall quality.
More Recognition
#1 in Maine 2013
Mount Desert Island Hospital ranks #1 in Maine according to the results of a national survey of patient ratings. The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS), found that MDI Hospital is the top hospital in the state and one of the top three in New England according to patient perspective.
The Leapfrog Group’s Top Rural Hospital Award: 2011, 2012
Top Hospital selections are based on national quality data and the results of Leapfrog’s annual survey, which measures hospitals’ performance on patient safety and quality, focusing on three critical areas of hospital care: how patients fare, resource use, and management structures in place to prevent errors.
VHA Leadership Award for Clinical Excellence: 2012
VHA Inc., the national healthcare network, awarded 28 of its member hospitals its 2012 VHA Leadership Award for Clinical Excellence. Members were recognized for meeting or exceeding national performance standards for clinical care and patient experience. VHA gives its Leadership Award for Clinical Excellence annually to recognize organizations that achieve top performance on clinical core measures established and tracked by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, including the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Health Providers and Services (HCAHPS) survey, which measures hospital patient satisfaction nationwide.
Outstanding Rural Health Organization: 2007
Presented by the National Rural Health Association (NRHA), this prestigious award recognizes organizations that improve access to health care for people living in rural areas. This award acknowledges MDI Hospital’s longstanding commitment to innovation and quality, and our comprehensive approach to improving access to health care. One of the more significant challenges to providing care in the MDI region is the geography. The MDI region includes islands and hamlets that are separated by large sections of Acadia National Park. Through collaboration and innovation, MDI Hospital continues to overcome these obstacles to access.
Maine Governor’s Council on Physical Activity Contest for Communities Award: 2003, 2007
The award, presented for both the Wellness Program’s YES seated exercise program for seniors and for its Spring and Fall Walking Programs reaffirms the commitment our Hospital makes to helping members of our community adopt healthy, active lifestyles.
